Orb wins Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park

Saturday

Mar 30, 2013 at 11:51 PM

With Orb's latest victory, trainer Shug McGaughey has reason to hope for his first Kentucky winner in a more than 30-year career.

The Associated Press

HALLANDALE BEACH — With Orb's latest victory, Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey has reason to hope for his first Kentucky Derby winner in a more than 30-year career. “It's my dream,” McGaughey said Saturday after Orb won the Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park. “When the 2-year-olds come in, I always try to think, ‘Well, one of these is going to be the one to take us to the Derby where we have an opportunity to win.'” Orb caught Itsmyluckyday inside the eighth pole and drew clear to win the Grade 1 stakes race by 2¾ lengths. Ridden by John Velazquez, Orb ran 1 1/8 miles in 1:50.87 and paid $7.80, $3.80 and $3.40 for his fourth straight victory. Orb also won the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream in February. McGaughey trained '89 Belmont Stakes winner Easy Goer, who finished second in that year's Kentucky Derby to Sunday Silence. “I haven't taken one to the Derby since (Saarland in) 2002,” McGaughey said, “and this horse, by far, is the best opportunity I've had since Easy Goer.” Orb's fractious behavior in the paddock Saturday reminded owner Stuart Janney III of moody Coronado's Quest, who finished fifth in the '98 Florida Derby. That ended any chances of going to the Kentucky Derby that year. Orb, however, calmed down and didn't disappoint. “Once you get him out of the paddock and on the racetrack, he's beautiful,” Velazquez said. “He doesn't do anything wrong on the track.” Orb entered the race already owning enough points to qualify for the Kentucky Derby. By finishing second, Itsmyluckyday earned 40 points in the points system to also qualify. “I expected him to win and he didn't. Am I disappointed? Yes,” trainer Eddie Plesa Jr. said of Itsmyluckyday. “He just got outrun. The winner ran a fantastic race. We finished second and that's good enough to get in the Derby which was out goal.” Shanghai Bobby, trained by Todd Pletcher, finished fifth after starting on the rail under Rosie Napravnik. Undefeated as a 2-year-old with a win in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile, Shanghai Bobby probably needed to finish at least third to clinch a spot in the Kentucky Derby. “He seemed to be in a tough spot all the way around,” Pletcher said. “Rosie said he just never really relaxed in that scenario.” Itsmyluckyday returned $3 and $2.60, and Merit Man paid $8.60 to show. The Florida Derby was one of six graded stakes races at Gulfstream Park on Saturday. In the Grade 2 Gulfstream Oaks for 3-year-old fillies, Dreaming of Julia took command on the far turn and closed in dominating fashion to win by 21 3/4 lengths. The Todd Pletcher-trained filly paid $5.20, $2.60 and $2.20 and covered the 1 1/8 miles in 1:48.97 under Velazquez. Live Lively, who beat Dreaming of Julia by 1½ lengths in the Grade 2 Davona Dale Stakes on Feb. 23, finished a distant second. “That was pretty impressive,” Pletcher said of his filly. “I felt better that we were able to put ourselves in a good position pretty comfortably and had our sights on (Live Lively).” Cigar Street, co-owned by Miami Heat forward Rashard Lewis, won the Grade 3 Skip Away Stakes by two lengths after drawing clear late. He covered the 1 3/16 miles in 1:56.84 and paid $5.60, $3.40 and $2.60. In the Grade 3 Appleton Stakes, Za Approval ran the turf mile in 1:32.07 to beat Beaux Choix by a length. In the Grade 3 Orchid Stakes, Regalo Mia won going away. The 4-year-old filly covered the 1½ miles on turf in 2:23.48 and paid $19.40, $9.00 and $5.20. Ciao Bella won the 1 1/8 miles Grade 3 Rampart Stakes by 4½ lengths ahead of Authenticity. Both mares are trained by Pletcher. Ciao Bella paid $2.80, $2.20 and $2.10. Louisiana Derby: At New Orleans, late starts are nothing new for Revolutionary. Neither is winning. The Todd Pletcher-trained 3-year-old once again started slowly, breaking last in the 14-horse field Saturday in the 100th running of the $1 million Grade II Louisiana Derby at the Fair Grounds. He had the lead by the top of the stretch, and held off Mylute to earn a spot in the Kentucky Derby. Another 4½ lengths behind was Departing, providing Louisiana-bred horses with a 2-3 finish, but still searching for a rare victory. Revolutionary, with Javier Castellano aboard, ran 1 1/8 miles in 1:50.28 for his third consecutive win. His previous two wins were at Aqueduct. “He's a very brilliant horse, a smart horse,” Castellano said. “The way he did it was very phenomenal. You don't see too many young horses do it the way he did.” Castellano took the inside track on the first turn after the poor start before moving to the far outside route on the backstretch, which allowed his mount to make up ground rapidly. By the three-quarter pole, Revolutionary was sixth. He led Mylute by a head entering the stretch, but by the eighth pole, Mylute appeared fresher and on the verge of taking the lead. However, Castellano was able to coax one last surge from his horse and won by a neck. “He broke a little slow, which he's been known to do in the past,” said Whit Beckman, assistant to Pletcher. “(Castellano) just recovered from there, just steadily picking off horses and making up ground. (Castellano) had to get down and ride him pretty hard but was able to get him there.” Mylute, trained by New Orleans native Tom Amoss, had to shake off a brief bump at the start, which seemed to affect his early performance. He remained 10th by the three-quarter pole but with Shaun Bridgmohan aboard regained his composure in the final half-mile. “(Mylute) gave me a heck of a thrill in the last 40 yards,” Amoss said. “I'm so proud. One day a Louisiana horse is going to (win a Louisiana Derby).” Revolutionary earned 100 points in the Road to the Kentucky Derby standings and is second overall behind Orb, the Florida Derby winner Saturday. Mylute earned 40 points and at 11th place appears to have spot secured in the derby. The field will be comprised of the top-20 point earners. However, Amoss deflected questions about a trip to Churchill Downs. Dubai World Cup: At Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Animal Kingdom showed that an American horse can win the world's richest horse race on an all-weather track, pulling away down the straight Saturday in the $10 million Dubai World Cup. The 2011 Kentucky Derby winner overtook the Bill Mott-trained Royal Delta with about 500 yards left, opened up a three-length lead and held off a fast-charging Red Cadeaux to win by two lengths. “He's a tremendous horse,” Animal Kingdom jockey Joel Rosario said. “I let him do his thing, whatever he wanted to do.” An American horse hadn't won the race since 2009, and especially since it was moved to Meydan Racecourse in 2010, the Americans have struggled to master the all-purpose surface. Trainer Graham Motion said before the race that he wanted to show that the Kentucky Derby win was no fluke and that he had overcome injuries that prevented the five-year-old from racing at the Dubai World Cup last year. “It was fantastic. He's just an extraordinary animal,” Motion said. “He reminded me very much of the Derby today, the way he won. It was the same kind of run he made, turning for home. He just seemed so confident and so full of run.” The victory may be the last hurrah for a horse that has been sold the Australian company Arrowfield for breeding purposes. Hence, the Australia national anthem rather than the American was played during the trophy presentation. Arrowfield chairman John Messara said he would have to discuss the racing future of the horse with Motion and the American owner Team Valor and its founder Barry Irwin. There has been talk of it racing once more at Royal Ascot. “We came into this horse basically as a stallion proposition,” Messara said. “It's been great to win this race and certainly underpinned his stallion value. It would be one step further if he went to England and won at Royal Ascot. But there are risks and logistics involved.” Two-time Breeders' Cup Ladies Classic winner Royal Delta, ridden by U.S. Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith, finished 10th followed by the other American entrant, the Dale Romans-trained Dullahan. She was bidding to be the first mare to win the race. The win was one of the few highlights for the Americans in the nine-race, $27.25 million card. Breeders Turf winner Little Mike finished 11th in the $5 million Dubai Duty Free and Private Zone, owned by a syndicate that includes paralyzed jockey Rene Douglas, finished ninth in the $2 million Dubai Golden Shaheen. It was a mixed day for the race host and Dubai ruler Sheik Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum, whose Godolphin stables managed two wins. Sajjahaa beat The Apache to win the $5 million Dubai Duty Free and Cavalryman beat stablemate Ahzeemah in the $1 million Dubai Gold Cup. Godolphin had four entrants in the Dubai World Cup, including the favorite Hunter's Light, but only managed a fourth with African Story. Hunters Light was seventh and last year's winner Monterosso was scratched just before the race. “He had every chance,” said Hunter's Light jockey Silvestre De Sousa, who had twice won earlier in the day in the Dubai Duty Free and Dubai Gold Cup. “He just wasn't good enough at this level even though he was a Group 1 winner here last time. This was a better race and he was a bit one-paced.” While Romans failed to have a good showing with either of his horses, trainer Aiden O'Brien fared better. He had two victories, winning the $5 million Dubai Sheema Classic with St. Nicholas Abbey, who held off the Japanese favorite Gentildonna. He also won earlier with American-bred Lines of Battle, who held off Elleval and fast-finishing Secret Number to win the $2 million UAE Derby. South African trainer Mike de Kock also had a good day, as favorite Shea Shea won the $1 million Al Quoz Sprint in course-record time edging out Joy and Fun and Eagle Regiment. The win was the second of the day for de Kock, who also won with Soft Falling Rain in the $1 million Godolphin Mile. Jockey Christophe Soumillon, who won on She Shea, also won on Al Mamun Monlau in the $250,000 Dubai Kahayla Classic. Santa Anita: At Arcadia, Calif., Doinghardtimeagain beat Hail Mary by 3½ lengths to win the $200,000 Evening Jewel Stakes for 3-year-old California-bred fillies at Santa Anita on Saturday. Ridden for the first time by Rafael Bejarano, Doinghardtimeagain ran 6 ½ furlongs in 1:16 and paid $9.20, $4.20 and $3.80 as the 7-2 second choice in the 11-horse field. Hail Mary returned $7 and $6, while 30-1 shot Cloudy Moon was another four lengths back in third and paid $10.20 to show. Sweet Marini, the 3-5 favorite, broke sluggishly and was never a factor. She finished seventh, beaten nearly 20 lengths. Trained by Jerry Hollendorfer, Doinghardtimeagain has three wins in seven starts. She earned $110,000, increasing her career total to $346,270.